by Bill Leutz –In this article, I have chosen to use the name “Clark’s” Lake because that was how the lake was named in all pertinent documents during the period under investigation, as well as being the name I knew it by in the late 1940’s. The...

Growing up most people read Mark Twain’s tale of Huckleberry Finn on the Mississippi River. For some, the story continued to inspire long after school days. It was 1996, and a group of intrepid Clark Lakers had become driven by an idea–to relive...

You may know that Clark Lake invented the first motorized raft, now mistakenly known elsewhere as “pontoon boats.” You may also know of all inland lakes in the U.S., Clark Lake had the largest Hobie fleet and more Dori banners flying than anywhere...

Through the years, many at Clark Lake have speculated about the origin of the dam on Ocean Beach Road. And no wonder. Not only is the dam a Clark Lake icon, but it performs the important function of keeping the lake level where it is. Because of the Dam...

The historic house, known as the Hitt farm on North Lake Road, is well over 100 years old and on the United States Department of Interior’s list of Historical places. Today, the Hitt farm is still owned by the family and serves as a private vacation...

What motivates people to sail? After all, sailing involves considerably more than a trip to the store. You have to acquire and maintain the boat, and then, learn how to use it. It has no steering wheel or accelerator. And the sport must...

Histories of Clark Lake typically include iconic locations like Eagle Point, Ocean Beach and Pleasant View. The west end, or head-of-the-lake, has always been important to the lake. And it, too, is fondly remembered. In 1947 Norma Gallaway (Lee) wrote a term paper...

Telephone service at Clark Lake and in our world has changed in huge ways. There was a palpable reminder of this when this telephone booth showed up recently at Clark Lake Classics, next to the Post Office, on Hyde Road. This piece of history still has a phone in it...

By Bill Leutz I recently had the opportunity to look at two old title abstracts for property on Lake View (West) Drive. These abstracts were for the two lots owned by Eben ‘Dick’ Swain – my sister’s father-in-law. Within these abstracts, I was surprised to find...

If you’ve ever had a daydream about expanding Clark Lake’s waters beyond the current shoreline, you should find this real-life story fascinating. In the 1940s William Keast purchased three cottages and a farm house on 90 acres of land on the south side of...

More than you might think. And, of course, it’s South Pacific, the musical, that got Clark Lake’s attention in multiple ways. In 1963 the Clark Lake Players moved due south from Pleasant View to the pavilion at Eagle Point. The space previously been a...

by Bill Leutz Ray Greene was a boat builder active in Toledo, Ohio from 1936-1975. Many of us on Clark Lake are very familiar with two of his designs, the 12-foot Nipper, and the 16-foot Rebel sailboat. Greene began his company in 1936 with a two-man daysailer called...